Martine Rose Is Having Another Moment – WWD
Sun 11 Jun
The designer has three new collaborations, with Stüssy, Clarks and Nike, out this year, and continues to reap the rewards of her Pitti Uomo show in January.
It’s been a frenetic six months for Martine Rose, who made her international debut at the January edition of Pitti Uomo and is following it up with three big collaborations at Stüssy, Clarks and Nike.
In April, she took a swerve at Stüssy, designing car-themed accessories, including a fuzzy leopard print steering-wheel cover. More recently, as Clarks’ first guest creative director, Rose put a colorful spin on a series of classics, which debuted during the designer’s spring 2024 runway show here on Sunday night.
Working with Clarks felt right on every level, said Rose during an interview at her north London studio.
“The brand is such an intrinsic part of British culture — and beyond. It resonates with everyone. I’m British-Jamaican, and the cultural impact it has in Jamaica is enormous. More important than anything is how comfortable the shoes are, and we really leaned into that,” said Rose, who jazzed up three classic styles in snakeskin, tinting them black and burgundy.
As reported, Rose has also designed a tailored clothing collection with long-term collaborator Nike, which is set to be released in July to coincide with the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup soccer games.
Tailored clothing is new for Nike, and Rose said the idea evolved from their conversations about women’s soccer in particular. “I’m really excited to release that,” she said.
In the midst of it all, Rose is still processing the impact of her big Pitti Uomo show, which she staged in a 16th-century loggia. She decked the space in saffron yellow carpeting and covered the columns with mirrored tiles.
“I think I underestimated the reach, and how far that goes. There were people at Pitti who don’t come to London for whatever reason, and they got to experience my show. And the PR machine behind it. It has definitely opened doors, and raised my profile. It’s such an amazing platform,” she said.